First off, I want to say that one of my inspirations for starting this thread was you taking the time to thoughtfully present your perspective on 'Hiba's' Capitalism reference...thanks for that. Thanks also for your later clarification...i.e. seeing a "Continuum" of views, rather than jumping to a "Binary" opinion. That 'knee jerk' approach to the subject - i.e. referring to anyone who isn't a 'full on' "Capitalist" as a 'full on' "Communist", then is the essence of the thread and you immediately 'got it'...hopefully, others can see this as well. But enough of the fawning on a 'first date' ;-)...
In your response to Hiba, you use the analogy of boats on the water to convey the perspectives of the two philosophies...by chance, the article I linked applies a similar analogy when trying to explain to "Free Marketers" what they seem to be missing in the Socialists' complaint...here's the quote...
"Capitalism creates wealth by setting up a contest for profits that necessarily creates a steady stream of losers. The fact that capitalism also creates a steady stream of opportunities does not, by itself, make the risk of losing tolerable. If rough seas keep tossing folks overboard, and people are barely keeping their heads above water ("Just keep paddling, Aunt Andrea!"), it's not enough to be told that there's "usually" a boat to swim to. We're more willing to risk storm-tossed seas when the ship of state is bristling with lifeboats and manned by a competent crew."
In my view, this need to show concern for the "passengers" is fundamental to understanding what drives the Socialist side of the aisle. We all want a fast ship and Capitalism is the design best suited for that...but when it's gunnels are constantly in the water, folks are going to get nervous.
Staying with the analogy for a moment longer, it's my perception that those who are laser-focused on being 'Skippers' of the good ship "Capitalism", too often lose sight of the "Crew" and don't appreciate that they wouldn't have won the ocean race without them...
Now, breaking with the nautical references, this leads me to a discussion of what all this means in today's parlance...i.e. The Wealth Gap...which is a glaring symptom of our American economic "status quo"...what is it? (for those who might not know)...what caused it?...and, what to do about it?
Hopefully, this makes some sense, and a willingness to carry on the discussion.